Ferne Clyffe State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,807 acres of Ferne Clyffe State Park open to hunting in Johnson and Union counties, next to Goreville. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county and Springfield permits and county permit. Hunters took 1,993 deer in Johnson County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingNational forestNational wildlife refugesOther IDNR and state landLand trusts and other open landFerne Clyffe State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,807 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Johnson County and Union County |
| Deer harvest unit | Johnson County, Union County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county and Springfield permits and county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county and Springfield permits and county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Goreville (next to it), Buncombe (4 mi) and Vienna (9 mi) |
What is Ferne Clyffe State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Main Site, South Unit, West Draper, Cedar Bluff.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Ferne Clyffe State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant and woodcock for Ferne Clyffe State Park.
What are the rules on Ferne Clyffe State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; county and Springfield permits and county permit, depending on the hunting area for deer firearm and turkey spring; county permit for deer muzzleloader, deer late-winter antlerless and turkey fall firearm.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Ferne Clyffe State Park?
Ferne Clyffe State Park lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,993 deer in Johnson County in 2025-26, against 2,015 in 2024-25.
| County | Ferne Clyffe State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 1,436 | 1,993 | 2,015 | 2,017 |
| Union County | 371 | 2,109 | 2,162 | 2,098 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Ferne Clyffe State Park?
Nearest towns: Goreville (next to it), Buncombe (4 miles), Vienna (9 miles) and Creal Springs (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-57, I-24, IL 37 and IL 146.
What other public land is near Ferne Clyffe State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Cypress Pond State Natural Area: 1,056 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Deer Pond State Natural Area: 197 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Giant City State Park: 2,949 acres, 6.8 miles away
- Cache River State Natural Area: 15,651 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Guthrie Cave State Natural Area: 81 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ferne Clyffe State Park
Counting Ferne Clyffe State Park itself, 20,845 of the 43,060 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (48.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 16,988 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,134 |
| National forest | 916 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 807 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ferne Clyffe State Park?
In Johnson and Union counties, next to Goreville.
Can you deer hunt on Ferne Clyffe State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county and Springfield permits and county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Ferne Clyffe State Park?
20,845 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ferne Clyffe State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Cypress Pond State Natural Area (2.3 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.